CLAWS OF THE MAREKAT part 1
by KS Claw
Summary: Not much to say, then that it is a fic about Viper who has to protect his family


CLAWS OF THE MAREKAT part 1.  
  
by KS Claw  
  
Well. Look here! I have not written one, but almost three SK-fanfic´s. Impressive  
or what? (to think I´m just a new beginner!)  
  
Anyway, this story is supposed to happen about three years after Dr. Viper has  
mutated. And it´s about five months before he meets Cobra, so she´s not in it.  
And AGAIN! It´s about two months after "Katastrophe," so Darkcrud is still out  
for revenge. And, what's a MareKat?  
  
Just some evil creature that is the worst thing in your nightmares. If anyone knows  
the comic "Darkness" or the Spiderman story "The Tarantula" you can say it is a  
little mixup. Enjoy.  
  
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CHAPTER 1: SEARCHED.....  
  
MEGAKAT CITY´S SUBWAY. 2:00 A.M  
  
The train stopped with whining brakes. A few kats stepped off it and headed for a  
hotel or to call a taxi. Two kats, a male and a pregnant female ran as fast as they  
could up the stairs of the sub-way. The male, a bit younger than the female,  
reached up a paw and a taxi stopped by the pair. They talked quickly and the  
female sat in the taxi. She rolled down the window and said quickly, "Are you  
sure you will be able to find him?"   
  
The young tom-kat nodded. "I´m sure. Just trust me, Samantha. I know where to  
look."   
  
Samantha nodded and said something to the chauffeur. Then, she said to her  
younger brother, "Good. We will meet at the Goldstar hotel. Be careful, John."   
  
"I will," replied John, and he watched as the taxi drove off. Then, he started to ran  
down a street which lead to the MegaKat Biochemical lab.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"WHAT! You wake me at two o´clock in the morning to ask about Elrod  
Purvis!?" shouted Dr. Johnson, the newly chosen headmaster of MKC biolab.   
  
The young tom-kat nodded. His coat dripping with water from the rain outside.  
  
"Exactly. I need to find him quickly! It´s a emergency. Do you know where he  
lives?"   
  
Dr. Johnson shook his head. "Elrod Purvis died two years ago. In a laboratory  
accident. You might as well look at the graveyard. Good night."  
  
But, the young tom-kat was not going to go. He grabbed Dr. Johnson by the collar  
and stared into his eyes. For a second Johnson thought he could see the kat's eyes  
glow with a silvery light. But, that couldn´t be possible.  
  
"You're lying!" the tom-kat sneered. "Now, tell me where I can find Elrod Purvis  
or they will have to find a new headmaster by dawn."   
  
"You dare threaten me?" growled Johnson.   
  
"No," replied the tom-kat."I only ask for help."  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The old tom-kat was awakened by a strange noise. It sounded as if one of his  
swamp-boats had been switched on!   
  
He jumped out of bed and hurried out of the door. He just got out in time to see  
the swamp-boat disappear in the heavy fog. A note was attached to a plank with a  
few dollars saying:   
  
"I´m just gonna borrow it for a while. You will get it back, I promise. But right  
now, it´s an emergency."  
  
The old tom-kat took the money and read the note again. Then, he put the money  
in his pocket mumbling, "As long as he pays, then it´s OK." And then, went back  
to his bed to sleep.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
John Purvis sped through the swamp in the swamp-boat. He had been looking for  
about an hour.  
  
"It just HAS to be here! Can that idiot that calls himself a doctor have lied to me?  
Of course not. I would have sensed that. But then, where is it!?" he growled as he  
tried to see through the heavy fog.  
  
Then, he saw it. Stretching towards the night-sky stood a huge tree. Tall as a  
building, though easy to overlook, Dr. Johnson had said. A ladder hang down from  
a wide branch, easy to climb up. John steered the swamp-boat near the ladder,  
switched off the engine, and climbed up. The steps were slippery with mud and  
algae, and it was a bit difficult to climb, but he managed not to fall in the swamp.  
He saw a door, just wide enough for a full-grown kat to slip through.   
  
"So it is true," thought the young tom-kat. "He lives like other reptiles." He  
checked the door. It wasn´t locked. Apparently, Dr. Viper didn't expect any  
visitors. He stepped into a huge "chamber." Bottles and tubes were bubbling with  
mystical liquids in strange colors on a table nearby. Algae-like substances hung  
down from the loft in unison with a strange wheel where two dead swamp  
alligators were hanging.  
  
"Like taken straight out of a Frankenstein movie," thought John.   
  
Suddenly, something touched his tail. John gasped and spun around. A terrible  
mistake. A huge deformed fungus stood in front of him with long green, slimy  
tentacles. It roared and lunged out and grabbed John around the wrist, pulling him  
towards its slimy body as if it would try and give him a hug. But, John knew too  
well that wasn´t its purpose. It was trying to strangle him.  
  
But, he would not let himself get caught so easy. He lunged out, grabbed one of  
the bottles from the table, and threw it at the fungus. It immediately exploded with  
a loud bang.  
  
****************  
  
If there was one thing Viper hated more than being defeated by the SWAT KATS,  
it was to be disturbed when he slept. That was why he had posted his mutated  
fungus at the entrance to his cave. He was awakened by a loud bang. He growled  
and sat up in the bed and yawned. "What now?" he thought, annoyed. "Can´t even  
a villain have a good night's sssleep?" he asked himself as he stepped out of bed  
and dressed himself in his labcoat.  
  
He walked in and saw his mutated fungus splattered all over his lab.  
  
"What hassss happened here?" said Viper, terrified.  
  
"You have always had the ability to make a surprise attack, Elrod."  
  
"WHAT!" Viper spun around in shock and saw who the intruder was.  
  
"Nice to see you again, my dear brother," grinned his little brother John Purvis..  
  
  
  
CHAPTER 2: .....AND FOUND  
  
Viper narrowed his eyes. "What are YOU doing here?" he hissed.  
  
"Now, I see why you don´t have a lock on your door. With a guard dog like  
that..." mumbled John and rubbed his neck at the place where the fungus had had  
one of its tentacles quite tight.  
He looked around. "Nice place you got. Who´s your decorator?"   
  
Viper crossed his arms impatiently. "That doessss not anssswer the quessstion," he  
growled.   
  
"Never been the one for a nice little chitchat, Elrod. I see Dr. Johnson was right  
about you," said John and sighed.  
  
"Well, anyway. To tell you the truth, I need help. Or to be more correct - our dear  
sister needs it."  
  
"I can guessss that you aren´t here to invite me to a family reunion," said Viper.   
  
John replied by rolling his eyes. "Listen. I REALLY need help. Samantha´s with a  
kitten. And, that´s a MAJOR problem."  
  
Viper stared coldly on him. "Ssso?" He turned his back against his brother. "And,  
why isssss that sssuch a problem?"  
  
"Because we are being hunted by a psycho MareKat!" said John. "You know, the  
creatures Mom always warned us about?"  
  
Viper rolled his eyes. "There´ssss no sssuch thing asss a "MareKat". They only  
exissst in ssstoriesss made to ssscare kittenssss." He twisted his mouth. "And, I can  
sssstill tasssste that horrible garlic-ssstew that Jodie forccced usss to eat!" He had  
never accepted calling his father's second wife "Mom." It would be like sacrilege to  
his real mother's grave.  
  
"No, that was against vampires," mumbled John. "She made us wear silver-crosses  
and have a Bible in our schoolbags."   
  
"Oh PLEASSSSE, don´t mention it!" said Viper. "I´m sssstill embarressssed over  
the way you shouted out about our, "Ssssecret weapon" againssst "MareKatsssss"  
when the teacher told ussss about them!"  
  
"Give me a break - I WAS only six years old!" said John.   
  
"But, that makesss you sssstill a blabbermouth," replied Viper. He turned around  
to face the younger tom-kat. "And, bessssidesss," he said, "If you are in sssuch big  
trouble, why don´t you go sssummon the crysssstal-wolvessss? They ssshould  
alssso "exisssst," and should, according to the myth, know how to defeat a  
"MareKat."  
  
(A.N: A "crystal-wolf" makes sure you get good dreams or wake up from a  
nightmare.)  
  
"We tried," said John. "We got help from a priest and got one of them summoned.  
We asked her about what to do."  
  
"And what did sssshe tell you?" asked Viper.  
  
John narrowed his eyes. "She told us just to hand the kitten to the MareKat when  
it was born. So much for THAT help."  
  
He shook his head and then said to Viper, "We´re staying at the "Goldstar Hotel."  
If you come, we can tell you a bit more about it all. We REALLY need help, I tell  
ya."  
  
Viper looked thoughtful. "Let me get sssome ssleep and I´ll think about it. I  
wassss up all night yessterday."  
  
John grinned. "I knew we could count on ya."   
  
Viper shook his head. "I didn´t sssay I wasss going to help. I ssaid I would think  
about it. Now get out of here. You're lucky I haven´t already told my plantimalsss  
to tear you apart."   
  
John grinned and slipped out of the door as he said, "Thanks anyway. We can  
meet at 8 o´clock tonight. We´re staying in room 609."  
  
Viper sighed and headed back for the bedroom.  
  
There was a lot to think about now. But, right now, he REALLY had to get some  
sleep.  
  
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MKC "GOLDSTAR HOTEL" 4:00 a.m  
  
Samantha walked back and forth in the hotel room, chewing heavily on a chicken  
wing.  
  
"God, I hate these cravings," she mumbled and threw the wing bone in the  
trashcan. She sighed and let her paw slip over her belly. "And to think what is  
causing me all this trouble. A simple little kitten who´s not even born yet."  
  
She sighed again. "Where is he?" A knock on the door answered her question. She  
quickly stepped over and asked, "Who is it?"  
  
"It´s me."  
  
"Me who?"  
  
"Cut the crap, Samantha, and open up!"   
  
Samantha sighed in relief and unlocked the door. John stepped in and locked the  
door behind him. Samantha wrinkled her nose.  
  
"You smell like a swamp!"   
  
John just nodded. "I know. I have something to tell ya, sis."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
When John had told her about their brother, Samantha just sat and stared into thin  
air. Then, she said slowly, "You're kidding, right?"   
  
John shook his head. "No. It´s true. Elrod has turned into a strange snake...  
lizard... kat... thingie.  
  
But, I doubt he´s ALL evil. When he told me, I should go away, he also told me I  
was lucky he hadn´t told his plantimals (whatever those are) to tear me apart. Dr.  
Johnson said that his mind was sharpened by the chemical "Viper Mutagen 368". It  
was supposed to turn him into some kind of psycho. But, I doubt it."   
  
Samantha nodded. "I´m surprised he d...didn´t kill you," she said as she tried to  
stifle a yawn.   
  
John laid a paw on her shoulder. "Try and get some sleep. I´m gonna go to the  
library. I saw one on the way to the biolab. It may give us answers to some  
questions."   
  
Samantha nodded and yawned again. "Just be careful."  
  
John hugged her gently. "I will."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
THE REALM OF NIGHTMARES. (No time needed. Seems endless at this place)  
  
Syphon the MareKat, a bloodthirsty killer. No better assassin could you get for any  
price. Except for the fullmoon samurai, but that belonged to another time. (Look  
at me! Wasting time with worthless chitchat. Let´s get on with the story!) Syphon  
stood and stared into a strange, magical pool with the same color as his fur. A face  
could be seen in the pool, though it didn´t belong to himself. It belonged to his  
master. A dark-cloaked mage, as old as time, some said even older then the  
Pastmaster himself, though he looked like a fullgrown kat in the middle of its 20´s.  
His eyes were filled with a hexing red glow and his fur a deep golden color. The  
name of this mage had been unknown for 800 years. Now, he was simply known  
as The Master of Past and Present. His voice was soft and gentle like silk, with a  
sharp essence of evil. Right now, he was talking about Syphon's assignment:  
  
"You haven´t eliminated the she-kat yet, Syphon?!"   
  
The bloodred MareKat shook his head, so the white forelock that covered his left  
eye swept from side to side.  
  
"No master. But, I intend to do it soon enough. I have a plan."   
  
The mage listened as Syphon told about his plan, and smiled cruelly when the  
MareKat was done.  
"A good plan. But, do not dare to fail me. Or you will know your punishment!"   
  
Syphon narrowed his single eye and bowed his head. "Yes, my master."  
  
The face in the pool disappeared. Syphon felt a paw on his shoulder and turned  
around. It was a female MareKat named Milai. She looked at him with her  
silver-like eyes with a questioning look.   
  
"You´ve been talking with our master again?" she asked and let a paw glide gently  
over Syphon's forelock. He nodded and held her paw. "Yes, indeed, my dear mate.  
Soon, we will have the kitten and we will raise him to be like us. And, when the  
right time has approached..."  
  
He kissed her gently and passionately. She returned the kiss and hugged him  
tightly, purring softly.  
  
"And then, we won't be the only MareKats left, will we?" she asked quietly.   
  
Syphon shook his head. "Oh no, my beloved. Our race will be reborn and once  
again terrorize katkind."   
  
They both laughed.  
  
"Now I must go," said Syphon. "As soon as my plan is set into action, I will  
return." And then, he disappeared in a thick red cloud of smoke.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
THE DARKKAT LAIR. 6:00 a.m  
  
  
Darkkat did not like to be disturbed while he was having breakfast ("Early up and  
early go. That will keep a villain all through" was his motto). And, especially not  
while he was planning different stuff. Including revenge over that damned  
snake-kat Dr. Viper.  
  
(A.N: Again, this is a little while after "Katastrophe.")  
  
So, it was with great surprise that Syphon suddenly stood in front of him. Darkkat  
jumped up and called for his creeplings. The little dragon-like creatures came  
running to their master's aid, but ran into some sort of invisible wall.  
  
"Who are you?" sneered Darkkat.   
  
The kat in front of him walked up to him and stared calmly at him. He was a very  
big kat. He was one head taller than Darkkat. A height that could make Darkkat a  
bit nervous. (Who wouldn´t be when you must lay your head back to look up on  
him?)   
  
"I am Syphon," said the kat. "And, you must be Darkkat?"   
  
Darkkat narrowed his eyes. "What if I am?"   
  
Syphon gritted his razorsharp teeth in a scary grin. "Then, I want you to do  
something for me. And, in return, you will be able to get revenge over a certain Dr.  
Viper. I don´t believe that you let a betrayer get away?"  
  
Darkkat narrowed his eyes even more. "I´m listening," he said.   
  
Syphon´s grin, grew wider.  
  
"Excellent. In the place you call MegaKat City is a place called "Goldstar Hotel."  
Dr. Viper is going to show up there at eight o`clock tonight to have a meeting with  
someone in room 609. He is going to meet with a young tom-kat and a pregnant  
she-kat. You are free to kill both Viper and the tom-kat, but do not DARE to  
touch the she-kat! If you harm her, I will rip you apart and spread what´s left of  
you over the earth."  
  
"Threatening is no use against me," said Darkkat. "What will I get if I do not harm  
the she-kat?"   
  
Syphon narrowed his single eye and replied, "Revenge, and a big reward from my  
master."   
  
Darkkat narrowed his eyes so they now were nothing but tiny yellow cracks. "It´s  
a deal."   
  
Syphon's smile grew wider and made him almost look like a humorous gargoyle.  
  
"Excellent. Now, hand me your paw."  
  
Darkkat reached his paw towards Syphon who took a golden ring from his finger  
and sank it into the flesh of Darkkat's paw.   
  
It felt like as if someone was holding a flaming stick against it, and Darkkat let out  
a cry of pain and pulled his paw back out of Syphon's grip. The ring had left a  
black mark in his paw.  
  
"What was that all about?" sneered Darkkat angrily.  
  
"So you won't forget our little deal. And, remember! Don´t you DARE harm the  
she-kat or the kitten she is carrying," Syphon said coldly, and then he disappeared  
as suddenly as he had arrived.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Milai was waiting for Syphon as he returned to the realm of nightmares, dressed in  
a long, black silk dress.  
  
"Well?" she asked.   
  
Syphon gritted his teeth. "The fool jumped on the hook. I told him I would give  
him a special reward if he didn´t harm the she-kat. HA! The only reward he will  
get is a quick death!"   
  
He grabbed Milai at her wrist and swung her around.  
  
"Oh, my beloved mate. Soon, katkind will be restless, fearing to meet the horror of  
THE MAREKATS!" He put Milai down and kissed her passionately.   
  
She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
MEGAKAT SWAMP. VIPER´S LAB. 6:30 p.m  
  
Viper had taken a long nap, and right now, he was walking around in his lab,  
thinking on what John had said.  
  
"Hmmm. The "Goldsssstar Hotel" isssn´t ssso far away. Maybe I SHOULD think  
about going there. It may be a little difficult to get in there. On the other hand, it  
ISSS a long time ago sssince I lassst had contact with any of my relativesssss. And,  
if Ssssamantha´sss in trouble...."   
  
That did the decision. Viper quickly grabbed a trenchcoat that covered down to his  
feet, curled up his tail so nobody would see it, and hid his spikes under a cap.  
Then, he headed via the sewers for the "Goldstar Hotel". To see his brother John  
and his sister Samantha.   
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
CHAPTER 3: AN ESCAPE FROM EVIL  
  
"GOLDSTAR HOTEL" ROOM 609, 7:55 p.m  
  
Samantha woke up at the knock on the door. She raised herself from the bed, a  
hard process because of her huge stomach, and staggered over to the door.  
  
"Who is it?" she asked groggy, still feeling like she was half-asleep.  
  
"It´s just me, Samantha. Open up," came John´s voice.   
  
Samantha opened the door and let John inside. He closed the door and locked it  
behind him.  
  
"How are ya?" he asked gently.   
  
Samantha groaned and leaned on the wall, letting the coolness wake her up.  
  
"I was sick again. Oh, it felt horrible. Then, I just went back to sleep." She  
yawned.   
  
John nodded. "It´s gonna be alright, sis. I just hope that Elrod will come." He  
looked at his watch. "If he comes, he should be here any minute."   
  
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.   
  
John spun around. "Who is it?" he asked, pulling out a gun from his pocket.   
  
Samantha´s eyes widened. "Where did you get that from!?" she asked with a  
scared voice.   
  
John narrowed his eyes. "I just bought it," he mumbled and asked again. "I said,  
who is it?!"   
  
"Room service," replied a voice.   
  
John gave Samantha a questioning look.   
  
Samantha shook her head. "I didn´t order anything!" she said.   
  
John loaded the gun and opened the door.  
  
A kat in a large trenchcoat wearing a cap stood outside the door. John pointed the  
gun at him. "Get inside and be quick!" he growled.   
  
The kat walked past him and into the hotel room.  
  
"Alright! Who are you and what do you want!?" sneered John as he pointed the  
gun at the kat's head.  
  
"Jessusss! I thought we had a deal about meeting here at 8 o´clock!" said the kat  
and took off the cap.  
  
It was Viper. John sighed in relief and put the gun away. Samantha stared at  
Viper´s three spikes on top of his head. Viper looked back with a little smile.  
  
"Nicccce to sse you again Sssamantha," he said.   
  
Samantha looked at him. Then, she also smiled.  
  
"So John was right. You have changed. Did you do something with your hair?"  
She looked at the spikes again.   
  
Viper laughed.  
  
"You could ssay that. I alssso got a powerful tail, if that hasss any kind of  
interesssst." He took off the trench-coat (Don´t worry, he has his labcoat under)  
and curled out his striped tail.   
  
John and Samantha were stunned.  
  
"Wow!" Said Samantha. "I´ll bet you don´t use that to swat annoying flies!"   
  
Viper replied with a toothy grin. "That too. But now for some sssserious  
busssinessss."   
  
John nodded. "We might as well sit down."   
  
"I prefer to lie down. I get a bad back from sitting," said Samantha and laid down  
on her bed.   
  
John sat down beside her, while Viper took a chair and sat down, looking from the  
one to the other.  
  
"Ssso?" he asked.   
  
John looked at Samantha, who sighed and slowly began:  
  
"I met him about two years ago. I was at a disco, sitting and having a drink, when  
he came. I found him interesting. Not because of his looks or his charm. It was  
more because of his smile and that long forelock that covered his left eye. We  
started talking about different stuff, and he told me his name was Simon. Then, he  
invited me to dance. I said yes and we had a great time. After the disco, we started  
to date. After a couple of months, he proposed to me and, like the little fool I am, I  
said yes. When we had been married for about a year, I started to feel ill. I visited  
the doctor who told me I was in the third month of pregnancy. I was so happy that  
I immediately ran home to tell Simon. But, I was in for a horrible surprise when I  
got home. He had completely changed. His fur had turned from brown to  
blood-red and his eye burned with a strange inner madness that I couldn´t identify.  
It was horrible. I blinded him with the flash of a camera, and run off....."   
  
Samantha started to sob. John laid a arm around her and continued:  
  
"Samantha came to my house, and told me what had happened. At first, I didn´t  
believe her, but then he showed up. It was like taken straight out of a horror  
movie. It was a miracle that we actually escaped. I threw a Bible at him cause I  
remembered what mom had told us. It hit him square in the face, and he roared as  
if he had been burned by a glowing iron stick. We fled out the door and hurried out  
to my car and drove off. We have been on the run ever since. And, Samantha´s  
stomach has grown bigger and bigger....." He shook his head sadly.   
  
Viper looked thoughtful. "And, there issss nothing to do?"   
  
"Nothing," said John. "We have tried everything. I already told you about the  
crystal wolves. Then, we have searched advice from witchdoctors, priests,  
scientists that have knowledge about magical creatures, but they have all delivered  
the same answer: "Just hand the kitten to the MareKat and you´ll be safe."   
  
The only problem is that Samantha doesn´t want to deliver the kitten...."   
  
Samantha looked up with a angry look.  
  
"I won´t let my future kitten become a killer!" she said angrily and sat up.   
  
Viper sighed. He knew too well it wouldn´t help arguing with his sister when she  
was in that mood.  
  
"But how come he want´ssss to kill Ssssamantha if she carries his child?" he  
asked.   
  
John narrowed his eyes.  
  
"One of the scientists told us that the female MareKat is unable to get pregnant  
from the male. So, to get a child, the male must charm a mortal she-kat and make  
her pregnant instead. After that, they must keep the she-kat in prison in the  
nightmare realm. And, straight after she has given birth to the kitten, they must kill  
her so she won't be able to feed the kitten with the first milk. Because, if that  
happens, the kitten will either be protected by the good or he/she will never  
survive in the realm of nightmares. That is why the real mother must be killed  
instantly. I did hear about a she-kat that managed to get away with her kitten  
though. But, that was a long time ago. I think it was back in the Dark Ages. She  
was saved by some warrior from a faraway land...."   
  
"Did you sssay the Dark Agessss?" asked Viper, his eyes glowing with interest.   
  
"Yes, why?" said John with a surprised look.  
  
"Becausse," said Viper, "Right here in MegaKat Ccccity, there isss a sorcerer that  
issss from the Dark Agessss. He knowssss how to open portalsss and to  
ssssummon creaturesss from the passsssst. He hassss more than once tried to turn  
the city back to the Dark Agessss."   
  
"How come it didn´t happen?" asked Samantha.   
  
"Becausssse he wassss ssstopped by two massssked katsss known as the SWAT  
KATSSSS. They are two pilots that protect the cccity. They have many sssspecial  
weaponsss," said Viper and clenched his fists at the memory of the last time they  
had humiliated him.  
  
Suddenly, there was the loud sound of shooting outside the door. John jumped up  
and ran over to the door and looked outside, and then he slammed it shut.  
  
"There are a bunch of ninja´s outside and the weirdest looking kat I´ve ever seen!  
His fur is all purple!"   
  
Viper jumped up from the chair. "Thatssss Darkkat!" he said. "If he´ssss here,  
then there can only be trouble. We musssst get out of here!"   
  
"Who´s Darkkat?" asked Samantha and sat up.   
  
"There iss no time to essssplain now. We need to get out of here!" replied Viper.   
  
"We can´t get out of the window or the door," said John. "What can we do? You  
were once the brainiac of the family!"   
  
Viper glared at his little brother and thought for a second. "Wait a minute!"  
mumbled the mutant-scientist, "Issssn´t there some kind of tunnel for the laundry?  
For thosssse who are staying at the hotel for very long?"   
  
Samantha walked over and checked. "Yes there is!" she shouted happily, "And  
there is room enough for two kats standing together."   
  
"That means there is room enough for you," said John and looked at Viper. "Is  
that what you intend to do? To use the laundry tunnel as a slide?"   
  
"Quick thinking Ssssherlock," replied Viper. "Now, you go down firssst and make  
sssure that there will be sssomething soft to land on. Make a signal assss sssoon as  
you reach the bottom, underssstand?"   
  
John nodded and crawled down in the laundry tunnel.   
  
There was a loud bang as the door shattered.  
  
"They're coming!" whispered Samantha.   
  
Viper looked down the laundry tunnel. There was a shot, that ricocheted right by  
Viper´s head.   
  
"HEY! Watch it!" he shouted.  
  
"Sorry!" shouted John up through the tunnel. "I´ll bang on it next time."   
  
Viper signaled to Samantha, and she crawled down in the tunnel.  
  
"I´ll meet you in a moment," said Viper.   
  
Samantha looked at him with a worried look. "Be careful brother." Then, she slid  
down the laundry tunnel.   
  
Viper waited till he could hear a loud "clang" as John gave the signal. Then, he  
crawled up, and was ready to slid down just as he got an idea. He reached out,  
grabbed the handle on the door, and closed the door. Then, he also slid down the  
laundry tunnel. He landed with a soft "thud" in a small laundry wagon. Samantha  
and John stood and waited for him.   
  
"What now?" asked John as Viper crawled out of the wagon.  
  
"We´ll go to the ssswamp. Darkkat doesssn´t know where my lab isss. We can  
ssstay there for ssssome time."   
  
Samantha had a puzzled look.  
  
"That sounds fine enough. But what about, when the kitten comes?"   
  
Viper shrugged. "We´ll think of ssssomething."  
  
He walked over to a kathole, and lifted off the cover. He signaled to his two  
relatives and jumped down in the darkness of the sewers. John and Samantha  
joined him shortly after. Viper looked around in the dark and found a path. He  
grabbed Samantha´s paw, Samantha grabbed John´s, and then they headed for a  
drainpipe to make it back to Viper's lab.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Darkkat was furious. Not only had Viper managed to escape, but he had also taken  
the she-kat and the tom-kat with him. Darkkat didn´t know how Viper had  
managed to escape, but one thing was for sure.  
  
Syphon would NOT be happy to know that he had failed.  
  
  
  
CHAPTER 4: UNEXPECTED ASSISTANCE  
  
It had been a hard trip through the sewers. And, things did NOT get any better  
when Viper and co. ran into the Pastmaster, who was looking for some stuff to  
one of his spells, so he could turn MKC back to the Dark Ages. (like THAT'S  
something new) Viper, John, and Samantha were discussing how to solve the  
problem of Syphon.  
  
"There jussst HAS to be some other way then jusssst to run away!" said Viper.  
"You know you can´t keep up running away from your problemssss."   
  
John glared at his older brother. "Why not? YOU did!"   
  
Viper gritted his teeth in anger. "Thatssss different!"   
  
Samantha interrupted the two brothers. "Look! I´d hate to interrupt your little  
discussion, but don´t we have other stuff to worry about? Like how to keep my  
baby safe from those MareKats?"  
  
"Did anyone say "MareKats"?" interrupted a voice, and the Pastmaster came  
around the corner.   
  
Samantha shrieked as she saw the little red skeleton in the purple robes. Viper  
turned to face the small sorcerer.  
  
"Well, well, well. If it ain´t the Passsstmaster himssself," he scowled. "What are  
YOU doing here, ssssorcerer?"  
  
"Oh, just looking for some ingredients. And I couldn´t help but to hear your little  
talk about MareKats." His single eye glowed as he looked at the trio. He walked  
past Viper and John, and bowed to Samantha.  
  
"I am the Pastmaster. Sorry if my looks scare you, my dear. Though I did look  
much better 800 years ago."   
  
Samantha just took one step backwards, her eyes widened in fear and suspicion.   
  
Viper stepped in front of his sister and looked down on the little gnome. "What do  
YOU know about MareKatssss, ssssorcerer?" he scowled.   
  
The Pastmaster just crossed his arms and looked around with an annoyed look at  
their surroundings. "Why don´t we talk about it some other place... Should we?   
Say, my tower?" He took his watch and chanted a spell.  
  
Viper blinked, getting a sick feeling in his stomach. He would never get used to  
magic! That was certain.  
  
Then, it was over. From the stinking sewers, they had appeared in the tower of the  
Pastmaster. A wyvern who had been sleeping on the top of a shelf made a high  
shrieking noise as it noticed the intruders. The Pastmaster threw a book towards  
the wyvern who instantly jumped off the shelf and flew out of the window. The  
gnome/troll sorcerer grumbled something and then looked for something on the  
bookshelf.  
  
"It has to be somewhere... Where could I have put it?" Then, he started to take down   
books, looking on the cover or in the books, and then throwing them over his shoulder.   
Books were flying around, causing the three siblings to duck every fifth second. But,   
one of the books that the Pastmaster threw had the luck to hit Viper in the face.  
  
"OW! Hey! Watch where you throw thosssse thingsssss."   
  
"Sorry."  
  
John walked over to look down on the Pastmaster and watch him search through the  
books.  
  
"What are you looking for anyway?" he asked.   
  
The Pastmaster just grumbled: "Hmmm. One of my books....It should have something  
about   
MareKats..."   
  
John looked over the top of the shelves and spotted one of the books. "Uhmmm. Is it  
large   
with a black cover?"   
  
The Pastmaster stopped throwing books over his shoulder and said: "Why yes."   
  
"And, does it have silver letters on the back that say something like this: Dark creatures   
of the nightmare realm?"   
  
The Pastmaster nodded. "Yes! That's exactly what I am looking for. Why?"   
  
John stretched out his arm and took down the book he had spotted, then handed it over to  
the   
Pastmaster. "Four words: You're... much... too... short!"   
  
The Pastmaster grabbed the book and gave John a dirty look.   
  
Viper spouted with laughter. Samantha covered her mouth with her right paw and giggled.  
The   
Pastmaster grumbled.  
  
"Veeeeery funny. Sometimes, you mortals have a strange humor." And, with another dirty  
look   
to John, he started flipping through the pages.  
  
"Hmmm. Let me see...." he mumbled as he searched through the book.  
  
"Killer sprouts....Minotaurs....Sphinxes....Shantu...AH! Here it is! MareKats." He read   
through the page and mumbled something. And then, handed the book to Samantha.  
"Here you are. This should give you some information."   
  
Samantha took the book and her two brothers gathered around her. On the first page was  
a picture of a MareKat with bloody claws and a evil snarl. Under the picture was a small  
text saying: "Chapter 10: The MareKats and Their Nature."   
  
Viper gritted his teeth in disgust. "WHOA! Uuuuu-gly."   
  
John nodded. "Yeah, he couldn´t win the "Mr. Universe" contest even if he paid or  
threatened the judges!"   
  
Samantha gave them both an annoyed look. "Could you dump the jokes just for a  
while!?"   
  
The two brothers grinned, and Samantha began to read loud: "MareKat. An evil creature  
that is right after the Shantu for being one of the most feared creatures of the nightmare  
realm. Since the female MareKat only can get pregnant from a mortal tom-kat, the male is  
forced, with help from their hypnotic-like charm and attitude, to charm a mortal she-kat  
and make her pregnant.   
  
Then, right after the birth of the kitten, he kills the true mother to the kitten. The female   
MareKat will then raise the kitten to be a fullgrown MareKat and then teach it to kill  
without any emotions blocking its way.   
  
Not much can fight these horrible creatures back to exile in their realm. Except the holy  
Bible, a priest of Sebaoth, and a silver cross. Not much can kill a MareKat - since they  
have a powerful way of healing fast in a battle. Though, if a MareKat is injured by the  
Dragonsword, the Colbratech Emerald, or the legendary Dragoncross, it will retreat to  
recover from its injuries. The Dark Ages, was one of the most dangerous periods for  
MareKats since they were tracked down and killed by The Full-Moon Samurai, a Japanese  
warrior from feudal Japan.   
  
According to legend, The Full-moon Samurai was part Kappa, the name of a Japanese  
demon. He had the three weapons that could defeat a MareKat and tracked down almost  
every MareKat in the world back in the Dark Ages. According to legend, he disappeared  
after he went out to track down the leader and creator of the MareKats. The darkclothed  
mage, known under the name of: The Master of Past and Present, a hard opponent of the  
Pastmaster...."   
  
At this point, the three siblings looked up and gave the Pastmaster a weird look. Viper  
narrowed his eyes and walked up to the small gnome/troll sorcerer. "Lemme guesssss.  
You are NOT too happy with thisss... whatever hisss name wassss and jusst because you  
heard usss talk about the MareKatsss, you think you can usse us assss sssome sorta  
weapon!?"   
  
The Pastmaster just shrugged. "Yes, I heard about it," he said and looked at his claws.  
"And, I thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to give The Master of Past and  
Present.... what is it you mortals call it?"  
  
"A good old 'kick in the butt´?" suggested John, questioning.   
  
The Pastmaster nodded. "Yes... .That´s exactly what I meant," he mumbled, and turned  
his gaze to Viper. "And, I know just where to find the Colbratech Emerald."  
  
"WHAT!!??" the three siblings yelled in unison.  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"WHAT!! They got away from you!!??" screamed Syphon into Darkkat's face. The tall  
MareKat´s tail swished from side to side in anger. His teeth were gritted in a horrible  
snarl that made Darkkat's creeplings screech in fear and hide behind their master's back.   
  
Darkkat stood calmly with narrowed eyes and looked upon the MareKat in front of him.  
  
"It is not MY fault, that they had an escape path. How was I supposed to know that they  
would escape through a laundry tunnel?" he said.   
  
The MareKat replied with a sneer and started to walk back and forth. His mate, a very  
attractive she-kat with a silver stripe in her golden hair, but an ugly scar over her left  
cheek was nearby. She was on an even height with Darkkat and her eyes were narrowed  
as she watched her mate walk back and forth in front of her. She stepped in front of him  
and laid her slim paws on his chest near the white mark.  
  
"My love. Take it easy! We can easily find a way to stop them before that simple mortal  
gives birth to her child..." she purred gently into his ear.   
  
He closed his single eye and breathed a deep sigh. Then, he smiled cruelly. "As always,  
you know how to calm me down, my beloved..." he purred and kissed her gently on the  
forehead.   
  
Then, he turned to face Darkkat with a look that could make Mount Everest crumble to  
bricks.   
  
"And, as for YOU!" He growled and grabbed a unlucky creepling that somehow had come  
too near him and ripped its wings from its small "arms." The creepling shrieked in pain  
and fear and quickly crawled away when he dumped it on the ground, whining and  
screaming in pain.   
  
Darkkat normally didn´t care much for his creeplings. To him they were just his own  
"factory-made" bodyguards and thieves. But, the quick way Syphon had ripped off its  
wings, shocked him. Though he didn´t show it in his facial expressions.   
  
Syphon had a cruel grin on his face.  
  
"Fail me once more, and you will end like that creepling of yours. But, with you, I won´t  
make it end so quickly!" he hissed coldly. Then, he laughed evilly and disappeared with his  
mate, back to the nightmare realm...   
  
  
CHAPTER 5: PAINFUL MEMORIES AND POWERFUL SPELLS.  
  
  
John angrily grabbed the Pastmaster by his collar and held him up at eye level. "You mean   
that all this time our hope for salvation has been in some wacky museum!!!"   
  
The Pastmaster struggled to get free of John´s tight grip.   
  
Samantha laid a hand on her brother´s shoulder. "John, PLEASE! Behave yourself."   
  
John scowled and looked over at Viper, who just narrowed his eyes and said calmly:  
"Drop him."   
  
John loosened his grip and the Pastmaster was dumped down on the floor.  
  
"Ooow. Couldn´t you be a little more careful next time!? I am not as young as I used to  
be," he grumbled.   
  
The three siblings exchanged looks as if saying to each other without words: "Well,  
DUH?"   
  
The Pastmaster started to walk around his lab, gathering some magical thingies.   
  
"I need some time to prepare myself so I can get the Colbratech Emerald. In the  
meantime, you can recover from your few injuries. (though I doubt there are many)."  
  
Samantha moaned and sat down on the floor with a soft thud.   
  
Viper quickly kneeled down and asked gently his sister: "Are you OK, Samantha?"   
  
Samantha nodded and smiled tiredly. "Yeah. It´s just, that I can´t help but to look  
forward to when this little guy comes out." She looked down on her huge stomach with a  
little smile.   
  
Viper smiled gently and aimed his gaze at his sisters stomach.  
  
"Hmm. To think that such a little kitten, who´ssss not even born yet, can caussse sso  
much trouble for it´sss relativessss," he murmured.   
  
John came over and sat beside them. "Whassup kitties?" he asked.   
  
Samantha yawned tiredly. "My back is killing me, and I´m amazed that I haven´t dropped  
the baby yet, with all that action for the past twenty-four hours. That´s what's up," she  
said.   
  
John stretched and leaned up against the wall. "Man. I´m all beat up," he murmured and  
closed his eyes.   
  
Soon, both Samantha and John were soft asleep. Samantha had leaned herself up against  
Viper. But, Viper couldn´t sleep. He watched silently as the Pastmaster walked around in  
his lab, looking through his books every now and then, mumbling to himself. Then, Viper  
turned his gaze towards the bookshelves. It reminded him of his father's library. Old and  
painful memories came sneaking through his mind. To a December evening, many years  
ago......  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Now, kids, we are just gonna be at the party for a couple of hours. So, don´t stay up too  
late," Miranda Purvis said and looked at her two kittens, Samantha and Elrod.   
  
Her husband, Eric Purvis, and the father of their children laid a hand on her shoulder.   
"Miranda, take it easy! Samantha and Elrod are old enough to take care of themselves.  
You shouldn´t worry so much."  
  
Miranda sighed. "Yes, I know, but still...."  
  
Eric laid a heavy paw on his son Elrod's shoulder and gazed seriously into the young eight  
year old tom-kat's black eyes.  
  
"Now, Elrod. I leave YOU the responsibility for your sister. Watch her carefully." And  
then, he added with his "doomsday-voice": "Don´t fail me, or else!"   
  
Elrod laughed. "Don´t worry, Dad. Everything will be just fine. I am just going to do  
some homework, that´s all."   
  
Eric gently ruffled his son's half-long black hair. "That´s my kid," he murmured, and then  
turned to face his wife. "Come on, honey, or we´ll be late."  
  
They both said goodbye to their children and then walked out to their car and drove off.  
Elrod stood in the door and waved to his parents.  
  
"Come on Elrod!" said Samantha, excited. "Let´s go see if we can fix some waffles for  
dinner. Perhaps we might even get to catch 'The Grinch'."  
  
Then, they closed the door, and the two siblings headed for the kitchen.   
  
*******************************************************  
  
Elrod sat down and started to read on some math. After a couple of hours, his head  
started to nod sleepily. Soon, he had fallen asleep on the desk.  
  
*******************************************************  
  
He sat straight up. Somehow, he could feel a unwelcome presence nearby. He turned  
around and faced an old tom-kat with a short, gray beard. He was dressed in a long golden  
robe, which made Elrod think of mages and wizards from the books in his dad's library.   
  
The old tom-kat looked at him with sad, cloud-grey eyes. "I have come to tell you about  
your future, young Purvis." When he spoke, his voice sounded like it came from  
someplace a long distance away, with a slight echo.  
  
"I sense a power within you, young one. But, it has not yet to be awoken. A dark and  
unclear future awaits you. To of those that are most dear to you will be taken away from  
this world. Four in the future will need your aid. Three as relatives, the fourth as a foe.  
One time will come where you shall help your opponents. You will have a long journey to  
strange worlds and mystical creatures. The fate of a scientist, warrior ,and relative awaits  
you. Good luck, and do not always seek the answer from only within your mind..."  
  
*******************************************************  
  
...BRRRIIING.....BRRRIIING....  
  
Elrod sat straight up. He blinked several times before he realized where he was. He tried  
to remember what the dream had been about, but it stayed unclear to his mind. The phone  
rang again. Elrod heard his sister walk downstairs and take the phone. He raised himself  
from the chair and walked downstairs. He saw Samantha sit with the phone in one hand,  
staring emptily out into the room. Elrod did not like the look on her face.  
  
"Samantha?" No response. Elrod carefully removed the phone from her paw, and then  
heard a voice from it.  
  
"Hallo?...Hallo?..." it muffled.   
  
Elrod lifted it up and spoke into it. "Hallo? Elrod Purvis here."   
  
The voice from within the phone sounded a bit surprised. "Hallo? This is Dr. Harley from  
the Kembertonville General Hospital. A minute ago I thought I was talking to a Samantha  
Purvis!"   
  
Elrod gazed at his sister. "Uhm.....She´s not available right now. Anything I can help you   
with?" he said.  
  
"I am afraid I have some terrible news for you. You better sit down...."  
  
What Elrod heard made him drop the phone on the floor with a clang. He couldn´t believe  
what the doctor had just said.....  
  
"...Miranda and Eric Purvis were in a car accident. And..... Miranda Purvis did not  
survive. Mr. Purvis is at the hospital in a critical condition...."  
  
******************************************************  
  
A loud bang made Viper snap out of it. He sat straight up with a gasp. Outside, it was  
thundering.  
  
"Jesussss! Talk about a heart attack!" murmured Viper and shook his head. When he  
looked around, he noticed that the Pastmaster wasn´t in sight. Viper carefully lifted his  
sister's head and leaned her against John. He raised himself from the floor and walked over  
to the window.   
  
Outside, the Pastmaster was working with a spell no doubt about that. As Viper watched,  
the Pastmaster summoned a few Wyverns. He sent them in a few directions and then  
headed back for the tower.   
  
When Samantha awoke, she saw her brother standing by the window, staring out into the  
dark. She struggled to get up, but she only succeeded when she tried a second time. Then,  
she walked over to Viper and laid a paw on his shoulder.  
  
"A penny for your thoughts," she said gently.   
  
Viper smiled at the old joke. Then, he sighed heavily. "Oh, nothing sssspecial. Just old  
and painful ghostsss of the passsst, coming to haunt me," he murmured.   
  
Samantha just looked at him. Then, without him noticing it, she whispered something to  
herself and closed her eyes. "You were thinking of dad, right?" she asked.   
  
Viper looked at her and then nodded.  
  
"Yesssss. And, what happened to him...." he whispered hoarsely and covered his eyes with  
a paw.   
  
"There was nothing you could have done, and you know that," Samantha whispered. "He  
didn´t want to live anymore. It had become too much for him. Mom, dead in that car  
accident. And us...becoming more grown-up and reasonable. He couldn´t bear it."   
  
They both remembered that horrible day.....  
  
*******************************************************************  
  
Their father had started to drink. With no other reason than to dig down into his sorrow  
over the loss of his wife Miranda, who had been dead for nearly ten years. John, Samantha  
and Elrod´s half-baby brother, had almost just turned eight. He had been at school. Elrod  
had had a horrible fight with his father, causing Eric Purvis to freak out. If Elrod´s sister  
and step-mother hadn´t called the Enforcers, Eric would have killed his own son. Elrod  
and Samantha´s step-mother Josie had moved with the kids to a motel. Elrod had  
forgotten some books for school and had went back to the house, armed with a  
baseball-bat. When he stepped inside, he heard a shot. He ran to the library and found his  
father on the floor, dead. He had shot himself.   
  
There had been a note left on his desk, left to Josie, Samantha, Elrod and John which said:  
  
"My beloved wife Josie and my children, Samantha, Elrod and John  
  
I know, these last couple of years have been horrible for you all. Especially YOU, Elrod  
and Samantha, the offspring of both your mother Miranda, and me. You, my son Elrod. I  
know I probably have been very mean to you, and I know I almost killed you when we  
had that fight. I only wish for you to forgive me for my sins and not think of me as the  
father who almost tried to kill you..... But, as the father that loved and cared for his  
children and their mother as well. And you, Samantha. You, that remind me so much of  
your mother. Don´t waste that special power you got from us both.  
  
I sense your mother's presence, my children. Her smile, almost blinding me... And, her  
beautiful face, not looking aged at all. She is calling for me; I can hear her musical voice. I  
only beg you one last time before I leave this world.  
  
Forgive me  
  
Eric J. Purvis. "  
  
Elrod had just stood there for a moment, staring at the paper. Then, he had run to the  
phone and called the Enforcers. He had to repeat twice before they could understand what  
had happened. When they arrived, Elrod had sunk down to the floor, whispering to  
himself:  
  
"Dad, I´m so sorry.....so sorry....!"  
  
********************************************  
  
Strongly against his will, a single tear forced its way down Viper´s cheek. He wiped it  
away forcefully.   
  
Samantha looked sadly on him. "Sometimes, crying can move away the worst of your  
pain, if you're sad about something," she said softly. Then, she hugged him.   
  
He returned the hug warmly, crying silently. They stood like that for several minutes.  
  
None of them had noticed that the Pastmaster had been standing outside the door,  
listening to what they had been talking about. He was definitely shocked.   
  
Normally, he didn´t care for other kats' feelings or private lives. But to think that one  
kat´s father would commit suicide because of a broken heart and his sorrow over a  
she-kat who had been dead for several years!  
  
(A.N: Well, don´t THAT give you something to think about, huh PM?)  
  
Then, he knocked on the door. "Can I come in?" he asked.   
  
The two siblings quickly separated and stood as if nothing had been going on. The  
Pastmaster ignored it, and walked over to John, who was still sleeping.   
  
"You there. Wake up. You need to hear this as well."   
  
John murmured something and dozed off again. The Pastmaster growled and pushed him  
violently.  
  
"Ahr, mom...I don´t wanna be in the school's play...they make fun of me..."   
  
Samantha looked at Viper. Viper looked at Samantha.  
  
"Shall we?"  
  
"My pleassssure!"  
  
They both walked over to the sleeping tom-kat and Samantha began to whisper in John's  
ear:  
  
"John...Oh, Johnny-boy. Wake up. It´s time to get up..."   
  
John just muffled: "Nah...I don´t wanna.."   
  
Samantha looked at Viper. He grinned evilly.   
  
"Johnny....You know what time it is?" he said.   
  
John mumbled something.  
  
"IT`S NOOGIETIME!" Samantha shouted, and they both held John while they scruffled  
his hair.   
  
He woke up, yelling and screaming.  
  
"I´M UP! I´M UP!"   
  
They stopped, and he gave them both a dirty look.  
  
"That was mean!" he grumbled.   
  
Samantha and Viper laughed. Viper hadn´t laughed like this for a long time. The way that  
John´s hair had gotten all messy made him look like a miniature haystack.   
  
The Pastmaster was surprised at hearing Viper laugh like this. It wasn´t the laughter of a  
mad-man. It was more the laughter of one who had been going through a rough time and  
was finally in his element. A friendly and joyful laughter.  
  
"A-hem. As I said, you all need to hear this," he said and caught their attention.   
  
"I found out that the Colbratech Emerald really IS at the MegaKat Historical Museum.  
There are only two problems:  
1: how to get into the museum without getting caught and get out again.  
2: How to avoid that the MareKat's attacks while trying to steal the sword." Then he  
turned to John and Viper. "And, that is where you two get into the picture..."   
  
The two siblings looked at each other and then at the Pastmaster.  
  
Viper narrowed his eyes. "We´re lisssstening."  
  
CHAPTER 6: THE OATH  
  
Donny, the nightwatchman, loved to be at the museum. He had always admired the old  
museum's things. And, that had been one of the reasons why he had become a  
nightwatchman. He especially adored the Dark Age weapon exhibits. One of his favorites  
was the powerful-looking Colbratech-sword. A beautiful green emerald shone brightly on  
the sword's stock and made it look more deadly and magical at the same time.   
  
Donny looked at the sword and smiled. To him, it always seemed so.... living. Like as if  
the emerald somehow gave it a life.  
  
"Heh, if metal could speak, I´ll bet you´d have something to tell," he murmured.   
  
But, the sword remained silent.  
  
Then, he suddenly caught a movement at the other end of the room. He grabbed his  
flashlight and aimed it at a suit of armor. He raised an eyebrow and then walked over to it.  
Then, he looked behind it.  
  
"That´s funny! I could have sworn I saw something."  
  
"AND, YOU WERE RIGHT!" a voice shouted, and the heavy armor fell down on him  
and it all turned black.  
  
**************************  
  
"Mussst you ALWAYS be thissss noisy!?" Viper asked, irritated as he looked for the  
sword with the help of his powerful night-vision. (Remember: He´s a mutant. His senses  
are sharpened) John shrugged.  
  
"Hey. I´m the annoying little-brother. I´m supposed to be noisy," he said and suddenly  
eyed something VERY interesting.  
  
"YO, Viper! (he had started to use his half-brother's "second name") I think I found it!" he  
said.   
  
Viper came over and looked at the sword. The bright Colbratech Emerald reflected  
beautifully in the flashlight. Viper didn´t know why, but it seemed as if every nerve and  
muscle in him screamed in excitement to grab the sword and swing it in battle.  
  
"We found it!" John whispered.   
  
"And, I found you!"  
  
Viper and John spun around.   
  
"Darkkat!" Viper hissed.   
  
Darkkat grinned cruelly and pointed at the two kats with his stick.  
  
"GET THEM!" he shouted, and his creeplings attacked.   
  
Viper swung out with his tail and knocked out a few creeplings. John smashed the glass of  
the display case and grabbed the sword. He let out a high yelp of pain and let go of it.  
  
"John, what do you think you´re doing!?" Viper snarled. "We don´t have time for  
thissss!"  
  
"I know, I know, but it´s like the sword was burning!" he whined.   
  
Viper growled and looked up. He gasped as a creepling tried to attack, but Viper quickly  
slammed it away with his powerful tail.  
  
"Let´ssss get out of here," he growled and set off with John at his tail.   
  
But suddenly, a tall, hooded figure stood in front of them.   
  
John's eyes went wide. "Uh-oh!" he whispered.   
  
The hooded figure laid back the black hood and showed a dark grey-furred she-kat's face  
with long golden/silver like hair and a large zig-zagged scar on her left cheek. Her cold,  
black eyes seemed to burn themselves into Viper´s mind.  
  
"I am Milai," she said calmly with a voice like ice. "And, YOU are dead!" Then, she  
pulled a large, black sword of pure obsidian out from within the cape and attacked.   
  
Viper gasped, and ducked away from the deathly black blade. "JOHN! Get yourself to  
ssssafety! Go to the Passstmaster! He will know what to do!"   
  
John quickly ran for it followed by a few creeplings.  
  
Viper hissed in pain as the black sword cut him at his collarbone. Green blood seemed to  
glow on the black sword, and Milai grinned evilly.  
  
"Now, I shall fulfil what the fool Darkkat couldn´t finish!" she snarled, and jumped  
forward.   
  
Viper gasped and sought safety behind a display case. He growled in pain as he tried to  
examine the wound. The blood dripped from his fingers down to the floor and his lab-coat  
was almost glued to the wound. Viper grit his teeth.  
  
"It´sss even worsssse than I thought," he thought, and licked the blood off his fingers. It  
tasted warm and metallic.  
  
"Come out, come out, wherever you are! I am getting impatient, little snake-kat," Milai  
said teasingly as she looked for him.  
  
Suddenly, the same feeling as when Viper had looked at the sword came back with double  
power. Viper´s eyes widened as he suddenly heard a sweet and soft voice.  
  
"Grab me! Swing me! Use me to kill!" The voice sounded as if it came from someplace  
nearby. "Use me! I was made for battle! I was made to slaughter creatures of the dark!  
Use me for the thing I was created for!"  
  
The voice came from the sword in the display case!  
  
(A.N: I admit it. For those of you who know the Dragonlance story called "Huma and the  
Silverdragon," it´s almost the same procedure with the Colbratech as with the Sword of  
the Tears.)  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Milai swished her tail impatiently. Where was that damned snake-kat!? The other kat had  
escaped. Too bad. She had looked forward to drinking his blood. She grinned evilly and  
licked her lips. Then again, there would always be the mortal she-kat Samantha when she  
had given birth to the kitten.  
  
Suddenly, she eyed a bright green glow and turned around. She gasped in shock and fear.   
"NO!" she whispered. "It´s impossible!"  
  
Viper stood with the Colbratech sword in one hand, teeth gritted and bright golden eyes  
shining like stars. He growled.   
  
Milai´s eyes widened and she started to back off.  
  
"What´sss the matter? Not in the mood for a fight!?" Viper snarled and laughed as he  
crouched down in attack-mode, swishing wildly with his powerful tail.   
  
Milai quickly realized that if he hadn´t been a mortal, he could easily have been taken for  
a horrible demon of the darkest abyss.  
  
Darkkat came running with some of his creeplings and gasped as he saw Viper.   
  
Viper turned to Darkkat and snarled. "BACK OFF!!!" he roared and swung with his tail,  
slamming the huge purple master-criminal into the nearest wall, knocking him  
unconscious. Viper turned to Milai, who had tried to run past him.  
  
"Leaving ssso soon!? We we´re just getting ssstarted!" he shouted and attacked.   
  
Milai quickly parried with her own sword, but could barely keep the Colbratech sword's  
deadly blade from her heart. Viper snarled and attacked again and again as he cursed and  
swore at the female MareKat.  
  
"All my life, the people I cared most about have been taken away from me! Firssst my  
mother in a car accident! Then, my father committed ssssuicide! My uncle who took care  
of me after high ssschool, died after hours in pain of a brain tumor! All thossse who were  
mosst dear to me!" He sensed an opening in Milai´s defense and slashed the Colbratech  
sword into the female MareKat's stomach.   
  
She shrieked in pain and dropped her own sword. Viper slammed it out of reach with his  
tail. He lifted the sword and stared coldly into Milai´s frightened black eyes.  
  
"I am tired of it, you hear me!" he hissed and slashed downwards, cutting the sword into  
her stomach again.   
  
She screamed in pain.  
  
"No....evil...mussst....ever...hurt..my...family...again!" he continued.   
  
Milai finally laid still. Her black eyes were closed, never to be opened again. Viper gave  
the Colbratech sword a disgusted look and dried the blade off on the female MareKat's  
cape. He finally grabbed a sword sheath from the wall and hung the sword around his  
waist. Then, just before he left the room to go back to the Pastmaster's tower, he turned to  
look at the dead body of the MareKat.  
  
"Never again," he murmured and disappeared down a kat-hole.  
  
*************************  
  
What Donny´s eyes met when he awoke with a powerful headache made him wish he was  
still knocked out.  
  
First, there was an unconscious master-criminal - none other then Darkkat himself - and a  
lot of knocked out creeplings. Second, there was a missing sheath AND the dead body of  
a she-kat with a horrible scar lay on the floor. But, the last thing was the most horrible.  
  
The Colbratech sword was missing!  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Samantha sat and cried silently. John sat with her and tried to comfort her. The Pastmaster  
mumbled and cursed to himself. Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and the door was flung  
up. Viper stood and leaned on the doorframe, exhausted, bloody and wounded.   
  
Samantha, John and the Pastmaster looked up.  
  
"VIPER!" Samantha shouted. Viper grinned weakly, but, before he could take one single  
step, he fell unconscious to the ground. Both John and the Pastmaster rushed to his side.  
  
*************************  
  
Syphon was getting worried. Milai had been away for a long time. Too long, to be exact.   
  
He murmured something and appeared in front of the museum, looking exactly like an  
Enforcer.  
  
He ran up to the doors of the museum and knocked on it. A very nervous guard opened  
the door and looked out.  
  
"Boy am I glad to see you could come so quickly!" he said, relieved, and let Syphon in.  
"But.. eh...Why are you alone?"  
  
"My patrol car is nearby," Syphon just said. "Now, tell me what has happened."   
  
The guard began to tell. "Well..." he admitted. "I don´t know much, but I DO know that  
there has been a heavy fight in the department for the Dark Ages. AND, there´s missing a  
sword."   
  
He showed the way to Syphon. When Syphon saw Milai´s bloody corpse, he gasped.   
  
The guard nodded. "That´s how I found it. I think I need to call the morgue. I..."   
  
Syphon had started to chant. "May all in this room, forget the past and the present.   
Forget, Forget, FORGET!"  
  
When he stopped, the guard stood like a zombie. Syphon stood in front of him and said  
coldly:  
  
"You will remember nothing about the she-kat. Only that the sword already had been  
taken, and that Darkkat tried to steal it, but was late. You knocked him out, by tipping  
over a suit of armor, and knocked out his creeplings as well."   
  
Then, he turned to the unconscious Darkkat.  
  
"And, as for YOU! You didn´t prevent that blasted Viper from either stealing the sword  
or killing my mate! You have failed me for the last time and death would be too mild a  
punishment. May you rot in the deepest and darkest prison of the abyss!"   
  
Then, he crouched down by the body of his mate and gently lifted her up. Tears floated  
down from his eyes. He buried his face into her wonderful golden/silver-like hair and cried  
silently. When he looked up again, his single eye burned of a deep, bloodthirsty hate. He  
threw his head back and roared in agony and sorrow:  
  
"I WILL GET YOU FOR THIS, VIPER! YOU KILLED MY MATE! I WILL GET MY  
REVENGE, I SWEAR!!"  
  
Then with a last roar, he disappeared in a thick red cloud of smoke with the dead body of  
his beloved mate.  
  
Revenge would be horrible.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Viper! Viper wake up, please!"  
  
"Come on, bro! We need ya!"  
  
Viper opened his eyes, but closed them again because of a sharp light.  
  
"Oy...my head..."  
  
"He´s awake! Thank the Gods!"  
  
"Viper? Are you OK?"  
  
"...Thirsssty...."  
  
"Here. Drink this. It will make you feel better."   
  
A cup was hold towards him. He took the cup and drank the cool water slowly. It felt  
good, and cleared his mind. Samantha and John came into view.  
  
"Wha..what happened?"   
  
John twisted his mouth. "That´s what WE would like to know!" he said. "You came  
through the door, blood all over, and you had an ugly cut at your collarbone that bled like  
hell, and then you blacked out. That simple."   
  
Samantha glared at John. "Would you calm down!" Then, she groaned and rubbed her  
belly.   
  
Viper gave her a worried look.   
  
She just smiled and said: "I´ll be fine. It´s just the baby who´s seeking attention."   
  
Viper looked at his little brother.  
  
"How long have I been out?" "About thirty minutes."   
  
"That long?"   
  
"Yes."  
  
Then, Viper remembered the fight and got a sick feeling in his gut. "I...I killed the  
MareKat!"   
  
Samantha looked shocked. "WHAT?"   
  
Viper nodded. "I killed a female MareKat who attacked us. I dunno. I hid behind a  
display case, and... it ssseemed as if the sssword called for me!"  
  
"I think I can explain that," A voice said. It was the Pastmaster. He stood with the sword  
and turned it between his skeleton paws.   
  
"Kind of a interesting weapon," he murmured. "But, as I said, there is a explanation. The  
Colbratech Emerald has a powerful spell cast over it. More powerful then any I have ever  
seen before," he said.   
  
John growled, annoyed. "Ah, skip the crap and get on with it!" he growled.   
  
Samantha looked shocked at him. "JOHN!"   
  
The Pastmaster shrugged.  
  
"Alright then. To be exact, this spell...or should I say curse...is made for battle against  
demons, werewolves or, in this instance, a MareKat. If there´s a warrior nearby and he´s  
in battle with a dark creature and needs a powerful weapon against it, the sword will call  
him to battle and, as he fights with it, the sword will slowly turn him into a bloodthirsty  
warrior - maybe even more dangerous then the creature he´s fighting. The sword will  
drive its carrier insane, and sometimes even drive them to suicide. It´s a miracle that you,  
Viper, didn´t get under it. How that is possible, I have no idea."  
  
Viper laughed darkly. "I got a theory there. My mind issss already so "twisted and  
insssane" asss that fool Zyme once exspressed it..."   
  
"That you in some way are immune to the sword!" Samantha said and groaned again in  
pain.  
  
Viper nodded. "Precisssely," he said.   
  
The Pastmaster looked thoughtful. "Hmmm. You got a point there," he murmured.  
  
Viper narrowed his eyes and looked at his two siblings. "I don´t know about you, but I  
won´t allow any evil, MareKat or not, to harm MY family again!"   
  
Samantha shook her head. "Me neither," she said.  
  
"I got an idea!" John said. "Let´s make a family oath!"   
  
The two others looked at him. He nodded, excited.  
  
"Yeah! An oath that makes special bonds between us, so we can keep contact between us,  
no matter how far apart we are!"  
  
"I don´t know..." Samantha murmured. "I will only do it if Viper´s in."   
  
Viper nodded.  
  
"It ISsss a good idea," he said. "Who know´ssss when Syphon will attack again?"   
  
Samantha and John shrugged.  
  
"That´s the point," John said. "We can feel if one of the other two is in trouble!" He  
reached a paw out. "Well?"  
  
Samantha and Viper reached their paws out as well. "We´re in," they said in unison.  
  
A bright green, blue and violet aura surrounded them. The Pastmaster watched in awe as  
the three colors swirled around the three siblings and changed forms. The green formed  
into a griffin and seemed to suck its way into John. He gasped as the green aura-griffin got  
into place.   
  
The violet turned into something that looked like a unicorn and reached into Samantha  
and the growing life inside her.   
  
And then, finally, the blue turned into a dragon, and almost seemed to electrify Viper as it  
got into place.   
  
The siblings sat close together, in a powerful triangle. Then, they separated.  
  
"It is fulfilled," John said groggy, and shook his head.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
About two months later, the time for the birth of Samantha´s kitten came. The birth went  
well, and Samantha became mother to a beautiful and healthy son.  
  
(A.N: Or as Kristen Sharpe would describe it: Wonderful and cute.(: )  
  
It was night at the Megakat City General Hospital. Samantha laid and slept peacefully.  
And, so did her baby kitten in a little hospital cradle by her bed. She awoke to a sudden  
cold wind from the window. She sat up in bed and looked around in the dark. She felt a  
paw on her shoulder and gasped in shock.  
  
"Eassssy, Sssssamantha. It´ssss just me," a familiar voice whispered in the dark. Samantha  
sighed in relief and hugged her brother. Viper returned the hug and his eyes glowed as  
friendly as two small candlelights. He looked over at the cradle, walking past the hospital  
bed and looking down into the cradle.  
  
"A beautiful and healthy son," Samantha said with a tired smile.   
  
Viper smiled gently at her. "Congratulationssss. He looks wonderful. Jussst like hisss  
mother."   
  
Samantha´s eyes twinkled with happiness.  
  
"Thankyou." Then, her face turned sad.  
  
"I just don´t hope he has his fathers' nature...."   
  
Viper gently hold a paw under her chin and lifted her head to look into her eyes. "Asss  
long as you are his mother, I doubt it will be like that."   
  
Samantha smiled.   
  
Then, Viper walked over to the window, the same way where he had entered and looked  
over his shoulder with a smile.  
  
"Ssssleep well, my sister. I will see you again....Ssssomeday."   
  
Then he crawled out of the window and down to the ground, where he disappeared down  
in a kat-hole with one last look towards one hospital window, where a white-dressed  
she-kat stood and watched after her brother in the dark of the night. Then, she heard the  
door open behind her and a nurse walked over and shoed her back to bed.  
  
"Unless you want your kitten to get a cold, you go straight back to bed and keep the  
window closed!" she snapped.  
  
Samantha just lay down in bed and gently patted her kitten. When the nurse had walked  
out of the room again, Samantha laid awake for awhile as if she was listening to the words  
that Viper had said before he had crawled out of the window.  
  
"I will sssee you again....ssssomeday."  
  
THE END  
  
Last note from the Author: Well, this might have been the end of the story, but not the end  
of the adventure. Be looking forward to the next chapter in the trilogy of "CLAWS OF  
THE MAREKAT."  
  
BTW, the thing about Viper´s life is just something I made up, and you don´t have to  
send me hatemail because I write stuff like this.  
  
Tell me what you think on: fantasygirl47@hotmail.com  
  
Comments and critiques are welcome anytime.  
  
This story was finished on the 1st of January in the year 2001.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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